Dying to Live
Clive Calver
Reviewed by Teresa Konopka
"Dying
to Live: The Paradox of the Crucified Life" by Clive Calver is an
astonishingly frank little book. Calver spares no ones feelings
when
he disperses the myth that Christians live the “good life” and merely
have to pray to live extravagantly rich lives. Self-centeredness
is
done away with as Calver encourages readers to die for Christ.
The
cover of the book itself portrays the whole message of the book.
Calver
does not shout at readers to all become martyrs--of course not!
Rather, he explains what it means to give oneself up to Christ.
He
claims that books, televangelicals, and CDs are not terrible, but that
they should never be a replacement for a relationship with God.
In his
eyes, one must walk hand in hand with God via the Holy Spirit in order
to truly live.
There is much emphasis on spiritual death. For
instance, readers are urged to stop caring about their own lives and
start living for Jesus. Several Bible verses are quoted to back
this
up. There is n interesting quotation that discusses a rich leader
in
the New Testament that could not enter the kingdom of God because he
was unable to give up his riches. While Calver does not state
that
richness is bad and poorness is good, he advises readers to love the
God that provides gifts more than the gifts themselves.
The work
of the Apostles is highlighted much, as well as personal accounts from
everyday people. Additionally, Calver accentuates the fact that
Jesus
is our Savior and that he died on the Cavalry. With all his talk
of
giving oneself up for Christ, he is careful to mention how those that
have not led a godly life so far can start. It is never too late
for
anyone to begin their walk with God. As Calver so beautifully
puts it,
the Lord’s forgiveness is a sort of “divine amnesia.”
This
book is an excellent instructional book for Christians slipping in
their faith or non-Christians curious about what true Christianity is
like without all the razzle-dazzle. What makes this book
different
from most evangelical books is that it does not aim to get rid of
life’s tribulations. People will be poor, sick, hurt, alone, sad,
and
the like. There is no promise of a quick-fix. Rather, there
is an
outline for following Christ like He suggested--by carrying one’s cross.